A charming, colorful, and hopeful tale of patience and change.
Kueng presents an illustrated children’s story of friendship, told through the eyes of a lovable dog.
After dalmatian Luna moves to a new home, she finds herself missing the pigeons that would sing outside her window where she used to live. She steps outside into her new yard, hoping to make some new friends. She happens upon a caterpillar and is determined to become her pal, but when she returns the next day, she discovers something strange where the caterpillar used to be. Heidi Hummingbird swoops down and hints at the important transformation that’s taking place inside what Luna learns is a cocoon. The dog’s curious, innocent response to the mystery of metamorphosis effectively captures the curiosity of a child, and young readers will find her reactions relatable and funny. Lopes’ colorful, endearing illustrations bring a sense of whimsy and magic to this story of friendship and nature. When Luna finally meets Lily, who’s now a butterfly, the joy and wonder of making new friends shines through; however, this book also sneaks in a science lesson about the life cycle of a butterfly, clearly illustrated for easy comprehension. The story moves along with steady dialogue, although the simple, sometimes formal language doesn’t always match the playfulness of the images. Still, the way that Luna explores her backyard, searching for connection, offers a lovely example of what can happen when one slows down and mindfully takes notice of the details of the natural world. Kueng's book also offers a subtle lesson about waiting patiently for friendship to blossom—a heartwarming message for kids and caregivers alike. Children will walk away from this book looking forward to wonderful discoveries of their own, just as Luna wonders, “Could today be the day?”
A charming, colorful, and hopeful tale of patience and change.Pub Date: March 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781779440600
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Miriam Laundry Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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